Taking place at the DanceXchange at Birmingham Hippodrome, the workshops take place between Saturday 1st and Monday 3rd May, featuring a taster class for beginners, and a general choreography and body technique class for students with some previous experience, focused on body movement and expression rather than footwork.  Ana García is also teaching over the weekend.

FLAMENCO TASTER CLASS
Saturday, Sunday & Monday // 10am – 11am // £30 // With Ana García

FLAMENCO LEVEL 1
Saturday, Sunday & Monday // 11am – 12.30pm // £55 // With Ana García

FLAMENCO LEVEL 2
Saturday, Sunday & Monday // 12.30pm – 2pm // £60 // With Olga Pericet

FLAMENCO LEVEL 3
Saturday, Sunday & Monday // 3.30pm – 5pm // £60 // With Olga Pericet

CHOREOGRAPHY & BODY TECHNIQUE
Saturday, Sunday & Monday // 2.15pm – 3.15pm // £40 // With Olga Pericet

Download the booking form / flyer (PDF) here

The clips preview both the Complot and Recital shows – more on those here

Ranging from more abstract dance to traditional flamenco and specially-composed musical accompaniment, even stretching to feature the famous El Quinto Regimiento theme, found on Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra album and Coltrane’s Ole.

After selling out for both of their previous visits to Birmingham, we’re delighted to be bringing the ever-innovative trio Chanta la Mui back to the city for two nights in May as part of the second International Dance Festival Birmingham.

Performing two different shows in the grand surrounds of Birmingham’s Town Hall, Chanta La Mui was created by three young dancers who have all enjoyed prestigious careers – Olga Pericet, Marco Flores and Daniel Doña – all of whom are solo performers and choreographers who hail from different schools of dance.

Their first performance, Complot, on Wednesday 5th May, is the brain-child of all three dancers and is related to different styles of dance and music, which have the same free-spirited aim: of going back to our roots to bring the adventures and memories of the past to life today.

This is followed by Recital, on Thursday 6th May, which explores the more traditional Flamenco style of choreography and performance.  Several pieces make up the show, in which dance, guitar and singing are the only players.

Tickets are on sale now, online via the Town Hall website or box office …

£12, £15, £17.50, £20

£2 discount for 60 Plus, under 16s, unwaged, and other disabled.

50% for wheelchair user & companion.

15% off* when you book for both shows

]]> http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/chanta-la-mui-return/feed/ 2 http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/tango-feud/ http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/tango-feud/#comments Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:11:47 +0000 Sam http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/?p=245 This week’s Independent newspaper reports on the resolution of the long-running feud between Uruguay and Argentina on the origins of Tango, mainly through the need to earn UNESCO’s recognition of the dance and its music as a world cultural treasure!  Read the full article below.

It just so happens this is perfect timing to coinside with our splendid UK Premiere of Tanguisímo! We present leading Uruguayan tango singer José-Luis Barreto with French pianist Stéphane Spira right here in Birmingham on October 24th, alongside eminent Birmingham-based flamenco dancer Ana Garcia and the musicians of Asín … full details on the performance here

(Click for large version)

Argentina, Uruguay bury hatchet to snatch tango honor

Sunday, 4 October 2009 – The Independent

Argentina and Uruguay, which have long fought over who invented the tango, buried their differences to earn UNESCO’s recognition of the dance and its music Wednesday as a world cultural treasure.

The United Nations cultural organization granted the sultry tango dance steps “intangible cultural heritage” status during a meeting of 400 experts in Abu Dhabi.

The two Latin American countries jointly submitted the “symbolic universe” of tango to UNESCO’s list of cultural treasures, setting aside a longstanding feud over which one was the birthplace of legendary tango singer Carlos Gardel.

Tango and candombe — Uruguay’s drum-based music that is part of its African heritage and was also honored by UNESCO — flooded Uruguayan airwaves in celebration.

“We are thrilled. It is wonderful,” glowed Hugo Achugar of Uruguay’s National Culture Office.

But tango teachers and fans in Buenos Aires sounded a more cautious note, fearing the dance would lose its essence.

“I fear that in going global, tango will lose its identity and cease to belong to the Rio de la Plata,” Anita Monteagudo, director of the “Tango Brujo” dance academy, told AFP.

Tango is intimately linked to the history of the Rio de la Plata, the natural border between the two countries, and the melting pot of poor immigrants and former slaves who settled in the river basin late in the 19th century.

Regardless of the cultural disputes between the two countries, Uruguayans and Argentines “are the same people, expressed in two nations,” said Argentine historian Felix Luna.

“I am thrilled about the designation, but they robbed us because it’s our cultural heritage,” said Jorge Vieites, manager of the nearly century-old Ideal candy shop, where dances and tango lessons take place each day.

Vieites said he felt as though someone had taken his favorite toy, “because I am a little selfish.”

Achugar was more conciliatory toward rival Argentina.

“We think it is fantastic that this was done together with Argentina, because our roots are shared,” he said of the sultry dance honor.

“It is recognition of our cultural contribution to the world. People listen and dance to tango today, even in Japan.”

A Japanese couple last month won the tango World Championships in Buenos Aires, dethroning Argentina, whose dancers have dominated the contest for years.

Paris alone has more than 20 milongas, as the tango dance halls are called, while in New York, fabled tango spots such as “la Nacional” draw a packed crowd of aficionados each weekend until dawn.

Hernan Lombardi, the top cultural official in Buenos Aires, and his Montevideo counterpart Eduardo Leon Duter both announced huge tango parties to celebrate, with singers from the 1940s invited as star guests this weekend.

“This is a tribute to all those who have supported the tradition over the years, who passed the poetry and dance down through the generations, as part of their oral tradition,” Lombardi said.

Buenos Aires officials called on neighbors to participate in a major milonga next weekend in the city’s working class neighborhood of Boedo to celebrate the UNESCO recognition.

Argentine singer Susana Rinaldi and Uruguayan musician Ruben Rada are set to participate, along with a slew of other artists.

The sensual cheek-to-cheek stride of a tango dancer, rose clenched between the teeth, has become a global byword for Latin passion.

In Argentina and Uruguay, tango is a proud and deep-rooted tradition of dance, poetry and song, closely bound up with the history of the region and kept alive by aficionados young and old in dozens of milongas.

Omar Viola, who chairs the milongas association of Buenos Aires, expressed hope that the UNESCO prize “will help support young people involved in tango and not performers who are already established.”

“Any recognition of a cultural treasure of Buenos Aires like the tango is good,” said Viola, organizer of the Parakultural Canning milonga, one of the nearly 80 tango dance and music groups operating in the Argentine capital.

“The bureaucrats are one thing and the artists are another. Laws and state support for tango have been limited so far.”

Thousands of tourists descend on Buenos Aires each year to learn and dance the tango, which has helped fuel Argentina’s economic boom after the peso was devalued in 2002.

We’re very excited to be presenting a UK Premiere in Birmingham this autumn, with the arrival of South American tango singer, José-Luis Barreto …

A captivating double-bill featuring the UK debut of acclaimed Uruguayan tango singer José-Luis Barreto with French pianist Stéphane Spira, alongside eminent Birmingham-based flamenco dancer Ana Garcia and the musicians of Asín.

Dubbed as “the alter ego of Carlos Gardel” by Le Monde, Jose-Luis presents a distinctive and dramatic interpretation of some of the most beautiful tangos, including Piazolla, Gardel, Discepolo and original musical arrangements by Spira.

Ana and Asín will perform a striking programme of traditional flamenco, original compositions by guitarist David Shepherd and a collaborative ‘vidalita’ with José-Luis.

You can listen to extracts of José-Luis below and at his website, and buy his album with Spira from CD Baby

You can also listen to flamenco tracks from David and Asín via their MySpace site

(Click for large version)

Flamenco-Birmingham Presents:
Tanguisímo – José-Luis Barreto and Ana García

Saturday 24th October 2009 – 7.30pm

CBSO Centre
Berkley Street, Birmingham, B1 2LF

Tickets – £15.00
Box Office – 0121 780 3333
Book tickets online at www.thsh.co.uk

Find the CBSO Centre here …

View Larger Map 

Madrid-based Jesús will be leading a series of workshops alongside our very own Ana Garcia, after the great success of last November’s concert and workshops.  This time there’s also a general choreography and body technique class for levels 2 and 3 focused on body movement and expression.

All classes take place at the DanceXchange, Birmingham Hippodrome

Saturday 2nd – Monday 4th May 2009

- Flamenco Taster Class – Saturday, Sunday & Monday
10.00am – 11.00am
£30.00 – with Ana Garcia

- Flamenco Level 1 – Saturday, Sunday & Monday
11.00am – 12.30pm
£55.00 – with Ana Garcia

- Flamenco Level 2 – Saturday, Sunday & Monday
12.30pm – 2.00pm
£60.00 – with Jesús Fernandez

- Flamenco Level 3 – Saturday, Sunday & Monday
3.30pm – 5.00pm
£60.00 – with Jesús Fernandez

- Choreography and Body Technique – Saturday, Sunday & Monday
2.15pm – 3.15pm
£40.00 – with Jesús Fernandez

Click here to download the PDF form with full details of the workshops, or email info@flamenco-birmingham.com for more info!

]]> http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/jesus-is-coming/feed/ 0 http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/tg-collective-back-in-birmingham/ http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/tg-collective-back-in-birmingham/#comments Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:05:59 +0000 Sam http://www.flamenco-birmingham.com/?p=23 You can catch the TG Collective back in Birmingham this coming weekend, as their autumn tour comes to a close at The Patrick Centre, Birmingham Hippodrome, after taking in nearly twenty dates across the UK over the last few weeks.

Featuring Jamie Fekete and Sam Slater on Guitars, Percy Pursglove on Double Bass and Cajon, Holly Jones on Flute, Louis Robinson on Violin and flamenco dancer Ana Garcia, tickets for the gig are available in advance to book online or from the Hippodrome box office – 0844 338 5000.

Advanced tickets are priced at £10.00 and £8.50 for various concessions, with further tickets also available on the night.

Featuring Olga Pericet, Manuel Linan and Marco Flores, the trio perform at Birmingham Town Hall on Tuesday 6th May, 2008.

Also in May, the gypsy, jazz and flamenco ensemble The TG Collective perform at the Town Hall on Saturday 3rd, along with a whole series of flamenco dance, guitar and singing workshops at Birmingham’s DanceXchange with Ana Garcia, and visiting artists Olga Pericet, Antonia Jimenez and Jose Anillo.

Visit the What’s On page for full info and ticket details …

photo credit: gotto78

(Updated September 2009)

We are often asked about flamenco guitar lessons and workshops in and around Birmingham.

As with dance workshops, if there are any visiting guitarists or other instrumentalists in the city, we do our best to arrange a series of workshops or private lessons. Keep an eye on the website and RSS feed for updates.

For regular lessons, there are several flamenco guitar teachers in the West Midlands, and others around the UK that we can put you in touch with. Drop us an email and we’ll try to put you in touch with any teachers offering lessons near to you at the time.

E :: info@flamenco-birmingham.com

Photo: mirando

The festival opens tonight with the stunning Pepa Molina, followed on Saturday by Los Arrieritos in the UK Premiere of ‘13 Rosas’, and a one off collaboration between UK tango ensemble El Ultimo Tango, vocalist Guillermo Rozenthuler and Pepa Molina closing the weekend on Sunday evening.

Performances begin at 7.30pm, with tickets available via the Town Hall Box Office website or via phone – +44 (0)121 780 3333, and also directly from the Town Hall before the performance (subject to availability).

Finally, join us on photo-sharing website Flickr – add your photos and images of the festival to our collection at the new Flamenco-Birmingham Flickr Group.

We look forward to welcoming you to Birmingham this weekend!

Photo by freddy